If you haven't read my other story I suggest you do, it's completed and named 'Mysteries of Love' somewhat similar to this one.
This story has no correlation to 'Mysteries of Love', same characters with different personalities and experiences.
Unlike my last story I'm not going to write in the first person. I might change my mind a few chapters through but I for now I think this works best for me.
This chapter is a flashback, 1 summer before the present. Enjoy!
Linus stood with many other graduating 8th graders. He felt overwhelmed with all the sounds and people.
His small hand moved the distressed tassel on his cap to the left at the same time as everyone else. Throwing all of his sister's hard work into the air. Right after he got ahold of his cap and gown Snoopy used it as his personal chew toy. The cap and gown sat on the pavement as Linus and Charlie Brown talked to each other, the next thing Linus knew, Charlie was prying Snoopy off of the ripped satin.
Lucy worked all night on it, she wanted Linus to rest for his big day but her kind gesture did no good, her grunting and frustration kept both of her brothers up for hours on end. Linus was grateful anyway, even if the sewing was sloppy and there was dried blood on his left sleeve. Lucy doesn't often give away her time, so you always have to be grateful when she does.
As much as Linus would hate to admit it, Lucy does a lot for her brothers. She tries her best to take care of them, even if her demands to help sometimes come out as..well, crabby. And as much as Linus really really hates to admit it, he loves her. He really does.
He was rather mellow for his graduation day. High school was around the corner, which was something he'd much rather not think about. He ran his fingers through his hair as he looked around at all the other familiar faces from his childhood. His eyes searched for someone, unbeknownst to him that someone was Sally, his eyes were laid on her. She looked around before running off. Her cap that she was supposed to throw earlier fell off her head as she escaped the crowd. Linus instinctively followed her. He threw his blanket over his shoulder as he ran after her.
His blanket was at least 9 years old, it was comforting to have something to hold. He hand washed it weekly now, it was hard to wash off the germs of dragging it around the floor so many times but he tried his best. And it paid off, the blanket looked new, he could've used it for decades more and people could still believe it's new, that is, if he still needs it by then.
As grateful as he was for his older sister, her endless tormenting about his blanket made them bicker often. She thought he'd out grow his blanket by now. He thought it was ridiculous to put an age on a blanket. And the two just couldn't agree to disagree.
He found Sally at the famous brick wall, broken and mossy, she sat there so still, yet so unsteady. "Sally? It's been a while since I've been able to speak to you." Her head slowly turned to him. Wide eyed, almost surprised, he couldn't understand why at first. "I didn't think you'd be one to care, I've been busy with school."
"Are you ok?" He asked impulsively, he shouldn't have even asked. It was like instinct, when he saw her face he asked without thinking. "Honest answer? Not really." She practically mumbled the last part. Linus could've guessed that himself. No one would think so, but Linus knows her more than she knows herself.
Linus sat down, open to listen. He leaned against the brick wall with her. She moved to the side and leaned against him, he didn't push her off like he would've before. She did it by habit, something she would've done years ago. She flinched when she felt the warmth of his shoulder, realizing her contact with him, but he didn't flinch. He surely noticed, but didn't flinch, didn't mind.
She continued after a long silence. "I don't understand people like you. You and Marcie and Franklin and- many others are good at school without even trying! I work myself to death I and I still feel behind. I need things to be perfect and they can't be! I feel so stupid."
"You aren't stupid. Don't say that." She exhaled, the air was tense and her body was cold. "A surprise you of all people would say that. I need help Linus, I can't do it. I just learned last year that I apparently come from a long line of smart ass Ivy League alumni. They need me to follow in those big shoes, because Charlie, well, they don't trust he can do it. I don't know why they think I can." She swallowed, she sounded so stressed."I know why they can. You're smarter, and in general brighter than you think you are. And I'll help you. I'll tutor you if you'd like."
"I refuse to be tutored in the summer."
"Fine, when school starts." Sally shrugged. "And if you don't mind me asking. Are you set on an Ivy League yet?" Linus was surely not aware of what college he wanted to go too and much less the rest of his future, an Ivy with Sally in it would certainly be compelling. "Brown. They named it after my family for a reason." Sally commented sarcastically. "Actually it was named after Nicolas Brown class of 1786-"
"Shut up, you'll ruin it for me." Linus laughed, when the smile on his face vanished he responded with little hesitation. "I'll go with you. To Brown University." Her head jerked to him, it was only then he had realized what he had just agreed to. "Really? You would? Oh Linus that'd be so great!"
From the look her face he knew he couldn't back now. It wouldn't be so bad anyway. She opened her arms and practically fell into his. He could've seen her excitement with his eyes closed. She hugged him, for a long time too, if she had done this when they were younger he would've pushed her away, good thing he knew better this time.
"Thank you Linus, I think I feel better." That was all he wanted. "I didn't think you could even tolerate being around me much less go to the same college as me because of me." Sally loosened her grip on him, returning to her previous spot beside him. "You know I don't despise you as much as you think I do. You mean a lot to me." What he said had taken her aback, he had never said anything like that before.
It would be awfully great if he did it more often, but she knew better than to ask for more, she knew it'd push him away. All he had ever done was push her away, why was he saying this now? Was she over thinking it? Maybe it was just a friendly thing to say. "What do you mean by that?" She prepared herself for his overcomplicated blend of words, as much as a bore it was to listen to it she still did, and even though it was a bore, she still liked to hear his voice.
"I couldn't put it into words, how I feel about you I mean. I'll say I care about you more than all of the rest of our friends, who weren't even bothered to check in on you. And I care about you much more than I should I'll say that. I may even care about you as much as your brother does, in a different way of course. I like you for sure. Love, certainly a possibility." Was he saying what she thought he was saying? Was he implying that he loved her? That's definitely how it sounded. Love. She liked the sound of love coming out of his mouth. Especially to her.
"Linus! Where are you!?" His older sister Lucy hollered fearfully, Linus quickly realized he left without permission nor warning. "I better go." He said hastily.
Sally hesitated for a long while. She didn't want him leaving before she could get a word in. But did she even have anything to say? Not really. "Wait!" He waited. She stood up by his side and hugged him again. She didn't want him to go, she wanted him to say all those things over and over again like a broken record. Alas, she's learned she can't always get her way. She pulled back slowly, he waved and smiled at her. She couldn't help but smile back.
And he scouted for his sister Sally looked down. "Wait!" she hollered, he didn't get far, just far enough to be bothered. "You left your blanket!" She picked it up holding it out for him to come back, she expected a thank you, she expected him to run back for it. But he didn't, "You keep it." He left too soon to see her facial expression. Maybe if he saw Sally more often she'd fill the void of the comfort that blanket gave him.
His voice saying those exact words rang in Sally's brain constantly. Days and weeks after even, but right now it rang loud and relentlessly. That means something, she knows it does. She brought the blanket closer to her chest. It was soft, and smelled like him too. If only she'd learn that blanket would be the thing she'd be most fond of not long after. But she probably already knew that, and she liked the idea of it. She liked how easily Linus could give something so special to him to her. She liked that a lot.
Maybe it all won't be so bad.
Boy was she wrong.